Business

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) -- A new Census Bureau report lists Murfreesboro as one of the fastest growing small cities in America, but a local builder says rapid growth also means significant problems.

Chris Jensen is President of the Rutherford County Home Builder’s Association. He says the area’s builders are happy with the work strong growth brings, especially after struggling through years of economic downturn.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) -- A new report says Americans will spend 20 percent less on summer vacations this year and the study also suggests Tennessee is not well placed to cash in on the seasonal dollars that remain.

WMOT reporting partner Wallethub.com used 30 key metrics to compare 80 of the nation’s largest metro areas. Tennessee’s four largest cities did not fare well. Knoxville and Nashville ranked the highest coming in at 40 and 41 respectively.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) -- A new study says Tennessee has a severe shortage of workers qualified to fill high-tech jobs, a problem that could cost the state billions of dollars in lost business.

The Business and Economic Research Center at Middle Tennessee State recently completed the study. The report says Tennessee has already fallen well behind the national average in the training of so-called STEM workers, employees with the right kind of education in science, technology, engineering or mathematics.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Volkswagen is appealing a federal ruling that allowed a union vote ultimately won by the United Auto Workers at the German automaker's lone U.S. assembly plant in Chattanooga.

The National Labor Relations Board earlier this month declined to take up Volkswagen's challenge to the vote. The election approved the unionization of a group of about 160 workers specializing in the repair and maintenance of machinery and robots.